Day Made is a Copenhagen-inspired coffee bar located in Pioneer Square in Seattle. Run by just one person—Ash Day—Day Made shifted their hours to be closed on weekends to better serve their regular customers throughout the week. With a service-focused approach and a simplified menu, Day Made has proven that modern coffee bars have great appeal—and that Seattle was ready for a little taste of Copenhagen. We spoke with Ash about why she wanted to open the café and how she manages it as a one-person operation.
What was the original inspiration for opening Day Made in Seattle?
After working in the coffee industry for over a decade, I felt something was missing in the Seattle coffee scene. There were plenty of darker, moodier spaces serving more developed roasts, but only a handful of cafes offering lighter roasts in bright, airy spaces. The experience I wanted to create was a peaceful place where people could enjoy the aromatics of coffee and catch up with friends.
Day Made was meant to be a space where coffee is shared in a simple, approachable way: everything one size, no flavored syrups, juicy and chuggable black filter coffees, and espressos that could carry delicate florals. It was scary to open something I wasn’t sure Seattle would embrace, but I hoped that by offering inclusive, ego-free service, others might enjoy these coffees too. It turns out people are often more open to trying new things than we expect. And Seattle, as it happens, had a gap in the market for this more European-style, coffee-forward approach.
But that’s only half the story. Yes, the coffee is “made by Day” — my last name — but the other side of the phrase is that someone’s day is made. That might be by a drink, but more importantly, my focus is on the small, daily interactions that make up cafe life. Micro-interactions are fleeting but powerful; studies show that the more of these weak ties we have, the less alone and more connected we feel. That is the deeper reason I wanted to open a cafe.
I love coffee, but I love serving it even more — talking with people, asking about their day, remembering the little things. I’ve seen firsthand how a compliment can change someone’s mood, or how asking about a customer’s new hobby makes them feel seen. There’s comfort in seeing the same faces every day, and when one is missing, you think: Hmm, I wonder how oat milk cortado and cardamom bun guy is doing; I haven’t seen him in a while. More than almost any other customer-facing role, the cafe barista has this unique, sustained connection with people over the years.
How does Copenhagen coffee culture differ from that in the United States?
Copenhageners — and Europeans in general — lean more deeply into the peace that comes with radical slowness. There’s an unhurried quality: friends catching up over coffee, someone closing their eyes as they sip an espresso slowly. That’s the kind of thing I observed working as a barista there. Rarely do people sit with laptops; they’re there for the experience.
How has it been as a one-person operation?
Very rewarding, but harder than I ever imagined. I feel grateful that I can fully control both the product and the customer experience in my space. But it’s also exhausting to be “on” all the time with no breaks while the cafe is open. It’s definitely the least European part of my approach, haha.
How have customers responded to the updated weekday-only hours?
So well! It makes sense for my location — surrounded by offices with strong weekday foot traffic. On weekends, the neighborhood skews more toward sports bars since Day Made is close to the stadiums. I hope to be open seven days a week in the future, but for now, this schedule is the best fit for the operation.
What inspired the addition of soft serve to your menu?
I have an almost spiritual love for enjoying ice cream in the sun. Friends have teased me about always finding a sunny spot to sit with my cone. When I was searching for a cafe space in Seattle, I had three deal-breakers: under 1,000 sq. ft., west-facing windows, and space for outdoor seating. Those requirements would let me run the shop alone and still enjoy the late-afternoon sun — ideally with an espresso and some ice cream. A nostalgic thing we all can love.
The soft serve addition was also inspired by Coffee Collective’s espresso soft serve in Copenhagen. My version uses espresso dust (finely ground espresso beans) for texture on the Day Made affogato — an idea I borrowed from Coffee Collective, though they actually mix espresso into their soft serve base. The olive oil drizzle came from another Copenhagen experience: eating raw milk ice cream with salt and olive oil at Italian restaurant, Bæst, in 2017. So while the affogato itself is Italian, its construction is very much inspired by my time working in Copenhagen.
Why did you choose a Linea PB for your café?
I’ve worked with many brands of espresso machines, but La Marzocco — specifically the Linea PB — is the one I trust most. The volumetrics are reliable, the steam wand dial offers unmatched control, and the design is both classic and instantly recognized by customers and industry peers as a symbol of quality.
How does espresso technology help you manage a line as a single-person operation?
For my affogato, I pull a ristretto shot for a sweeter, better-balanced ratio of liquid to ice cream. The long-press feature on the Linea allows me to easily program different recipes without overcomplicating things, which is essential when you’re the only person behind the bar.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned since opening?
That Seattle was ready for something different — and that it’s okay to keep the menu limited and stay true to yourself. I’ve also learned how much customers care about where their coffee comes from and how farmers are paid. People recognize and care about quality and are willing to pay for it.
That’s why I chose to work with Coffee Collective and Olympia Coffee: both companies that share a trading ethos rooted in transparency and sustainability. They also happen to be places I’ve worked before, so in some ways it’s a nod to my past — and to the mentors and experiences that shaped me as a barista into a business owner.
Day Made is truly a barista-owned space, and I am happy to say that my background is in customer service.
Visit Day Made Kaffee Bar at their website and on Instagram.
